Experience · Finnish Lapland

Reindeer sledding with the Sámi

Where huskies sprint, reindeer amble — a sled ride through the snow-cushioned forests around Inari or Rovaniemi moves at the speed of falling snow, antlers swaying ahead, nothing to do but burrow deeper into the blankets.

Best forFamilies · Couples · Adventure seekers
In October4°C · 15 rainy days
Ideal stay3–4 nights
Approx. flying time~10h 35m from Los Angeles

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Reindeer sledding with the Sámi, Finnish Lapland

Happens around Finnish Lapland — nearest airport Rovaniemi (RVN), about 8km away.

CurrencyEUREuro
LanguageFinnish and Swedish
Local time15:062h ahead of the UK
PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+358

The experience

Speed is not the point. A reindeer pulls a low wooden sled at walking pace through birch and pine forest, and the whole thing is quiet enough to hear the harness and the runners on the snow. Rides run from twenty minutes to several hours, and the longer ones cross frozen lakes and open fell before returning to a fire and something hot to drink.

Build the trip around a base rather than a single ride. Rovaniemi is the easiest to reach and the busiest, while Inari and the roads further north sit in Sami country, where herding is a working occupation rather than a show. December to March has reliable snow, and January and February are coldest and clearest. Add husky sledding, a snowmobile day and at least three nights for aurora chances.

Ideal stay: 3–4 nights
The vibe: Slow, snowbound, deeply quiet

From our guides

The best trips are run by Sámi herding families and end around a fire in a lavvu tent with stories, smoky coffee and warm berry juice. December to March is the season. Ask for a late-afternoon departure; the polar twilight turns everything violet.

Featured in Ten winter adventures beyond the ski piste

Make a trip of it

Siida museum in Inari

The national Sami museum sets out herding, language and the Arctic seasons with real depth, and makes far better sense of a sled ride than any commentary can.
A lavvu fire stop

Most trips break in a canvas or timber shelter around an open fire, with coffee boiled in a pot and stories about the herd. Smoked reindeer usually follows.
Aurora nights

Clear, cold spells between September and March bring the northern lights. Get away from town lighting and give it several evenings rather than pinning hopes on one.
Taking the reins

Longer trips often let you drive your own sled and hand out a mock reindeer licence at the end. Children find this considerably funnier than adults expect.
Lake Inari

Finland's third-largest lake freezes hard enough to cross by sled or snowmobile, a white plain scattered with islands including the Sami sacred island of Ukonsaari.

Getting there

Fly to
Rovaniemi (RVN)

Nearest airport to Finnish Lapland, about 8km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Rovaniemi

About 15 minutes by taxi or airport bus from Rovaniemi (RVN) into town; Inari, further north, is another three hours by road or bus.
On the ground
Getting around

Reindeer farms lie in the forest outside town and operators collect guests from their hotels, so you rarely need your own transport.

Public transport: Long-distance buses run north to Ivalo and Inari, and excursion transfers cover the farms themselves.

Flights

Los Angeles Finnish Lapland

Flying from

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Roughly 10h 35m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about -7°C in January to 20°C in July. Driest March to May; wettest in August, with rain on about 15 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

October4° · rain 15 daysCold and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to base yourself

Log cabins, glass roofed igloos, wilderness lodges run by herding families and standard town hotels. Book a cabin with a sauna, and expect activities to be sold as packages.

Best base overall
Rovaniemi

The region's transport hub, with flights, trains, hotels at every price and reindeer farms a short transfer out of town. It is a working city, not a wilderness village.
Find stays in Rovaniemi
Best with children
Saariselka

A purpose built winter village with cabins, sled dogs, gentle slopes and an aurora hill behind it. Compact and easy with small children, though it can feel manufactured.
Find stays in Saariselka
Best for couples
Inari

The Sami cultural heartland by a vast frozen lake, with the Siida museum and herding families running the trips. Remote, dark and cold, with few places to eat out.
Find stays in Inari
Best value
Ivalo

The airport town between the two, where rooms cost less and transfers are short. There is not much charm, and you will be driven out for every activity.
Find stays in Ivalo

Worth knowing before you book: December fills first and prices peak around Christmas, while late winter gives better light and lower rates. Glass igloos sell out a year ahead, so decide early or drop the idea.

Search everything else in Rovaniemi by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Rovaniemi

Good to know

Timing: Snow is dependable from December to March and often into April. Late December brings polar night in the far north, with only a few hours of blue twilight.
Pack this: Thermal base layers, wool socks and mittens. Operators lend outer suits and boots, but a sled ride means sitting still in deep cold for a long time.
Book ahead: Christmas and New Year sell out months in advance and cost far more. Late January and March are quieter, colder and considerably cheaper.
Etiquette: Reindeer herding is a livelihood, not a performance. Ask before photographing people, and choose trips run by Sami families if that matters to you.
Driving: Roads are ploughed and driveable with winter tyres, but reindeer wander onto them at dusk. Slow down, and expect them in groups rather than singly.